OSCE ODIHR DIRECTOR HOPES THAT ARMENIA TO SUCCESSFULLY CONTINUE LEGAL AND JUDICIAL REFORMS

Noyan Tapan
Jan 16 2007

YEREVAN, JANUARY 16, NOYAN TAPAN. RA Foreign Minister Vartan Oskanian
received on January 16 Ambassador Christian Shtrohal, the Director
of the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights,
who is in Yerevan on a two-day visit.

Welcoming the guests, the Minister mentioned that the Armenian
authorities estimate as positive the OSCE ODIHR activity in the process
of development of democracy in Armenia and attached importance to
Mr.Shtrohal’s visit on the threshold of elections.

As Noyan Tapan was informed by the RA Foreign Ministry’s Press and
Information Department, Ambassador Shtrohal emphasized that the goal of
the visit is to discuss the cooperation of the OSCE ODIHR and Armenia
and issues relating to the coming parliamentary elections of Armenia.

Attaching importance to free and just holding of elections, the sides
touched upon the process of improvement of the electoral system in
Armenia, emphasizing the OSCE role in the issue of working out the
Electoral Code in Armenia, re-training of electoral bodies and showing
them expert’s assistance.

The interlocutors expressed a hope that Armenia will successfully
continue the process of making the inner legislation, reforms of
the legal and judicial system corresponding to modern international
standards, which will support complete security of the human rights
protection.

Reference: Christian Shtrohal was born in 1951 in Vienna. He studied
law, economy, international relations in institutions of higher
education of Vienna, London and Geneva. He started his diplomatic
career in 1975. He was the Ambassador of Austria to Luxemburg in
2000-2003, has been the Director of the OSCE Office for Democratic
Institutions and Human Rights since 2003.

Married, has 3 children.